For a high-performance data converter, such as a digital-to-analog converter (“DAC”) (e.g., at least a 12-bit DAC for operation at least at 1.0 Giga-samples per second (“GS/s”)), spectral purity of an output tone may be a consideration. Heretofore, a conventional high-performance spectrum analyzer was used to determine performance metrics of such a DAC, such as spurious free dynamic range (“SFDR”; i.e., a strength ratio of a fundamental signal to a strongest spurious signal in an output spectrum), among other performance metrics. For high-performance data converters, SFDR better than 80 dBc at low output tone frequencies and less than 60 dBc at high output tone frequencies (decibels relative to a carrier is a power ratio of a spurious signal to a carrier signal) may be obtained. This places challenging constraints on conventional signal analysis test equipment. Moreover, such test equipment conventionally may be expensive and bulky, as well as may be incompatible with a built-in self-test (“BIST”).
Hence, it is desirable and useful to provide signal analysis which overcomes or mitigates one or more of the above-identified limitations associated with conventional signal analysis test equipment.